Opinion on loach death

[Honda12]

My 5in dario loach died today. I went down to feed my fish and noticed he was lying on his side. I didn't think anything of it but when I walked up he didn't move and them all of a sudden it started twiching and then it died.

I scooped it up in the net and proped it in the power head current to see if I could revive it but had no luck. I did it for about 30 min.

When I pull it out of the water I immediatly smelled a horrible order that made me gag and it had an excess of mucus that was dripping from the net, which I am assuming were the smell came from. On further examination I notice it had a red inflamed and inlarged anus but other than that it looked completly normal. Clear eyes, good color, and all that.

I checked the water parameters and everything cleared out. I did a 50% water change just to be sure.

I have 6 clown loaches and they seem to be fine and all of the other fish in that tank are acting normal. I have had it for six months and it wasn't like it was new or any thing and I have nothing that would pic on it except the clowns but he didn't have any visable scaring.

Does anybody have any idea of what might have happend to it.

 

[ewurm]

Sounds like that loach had an internal problem. I think the smell was decay. I defer to my fellow members as to cause, I don't see enough info for diagnosis.

 

[guppy]

It sounds like you did not do a necropsy, that is a pity. On the one hand a red and swollen anus is often a symptom of intestinal nematodes in which it would be best to feed all your fish an antiparasitical medicated food, on the other hand a gutload of foul smelling pus is systemic bacterial septecemia and antibiotics would be indicated. It would not hurt to deworm you fish with the medicated feed containing metro, prazi, and levamisole and if you follow directions it is safe for loaches and will not harm your filter. This would eliminate one potential problem so that if the fish do start to sicken you can go right to antibiotics.

 

[fishnutham]

i agree with guppy my first thought was a servere nematode infection go with the treatment and watch the vents on the fish you'll see thread like worms hanging out they will move in and out with the fishes movement

 

[Honda12]

I would have done a necropsy but I didn't have to tools for it nor where I know where to begin or what to look for. Even If I attempted to I don't think I could have do to the smell.

Thanks for the help and I will treat the tank today.

 

[Filthy Sanchez]

Red swollen anus you say? Man I could go so far with this one, however I think I'll refrain.

 

[guppy]

Red swollen anus you say? Man I could go so far with this one, however I think I'll refrain.

Lol, We Thank You!

 

[guppy]

I would have done a necropsy but I didn't have to tools for it nor where I know where to begin or what to look for. Even If I attempted to I don't think I could have do to the smell.

Thanks for the help and I will treat the tank today.

Just for future reference, a rough necropsy is easily done (while wearing surgical gloves) by using a couple pins and a pointed blade scalpel or exacto knife and a pair of forceps. This will get you as far as you can get without microscope, etc. A good magnifying glass is handy as well.
Just take a good look into the eyes looking for small whitish objects, (flukes or nematodes). a good look at the gill arches (all kinds of things), and then open the abdominal cavity. You already said it had a fouls smell and puslike mucus so what you probably would have seen was a yellowish thin pus surrounding and suffusing the organs (bacterial systemic septicemia). If that is not present look for rice like lumps on the intestinal wall, or free moving dark flat worms, both are flukes (treatable with antiparasite food containing prazi). Then using the pins and scalpel (or fine scissors) open the length of the intestines. This would reveal tapeworms and other intestinal marcoparasites.
Knowing what killed the fish lets you know what to treat the remainder for.